RPG Metanoia

All I can say is, WOW! Amazing! A Quality Movie! The Kids Loved it! I Enjoyed it! I'll definitely buy the Original DVD once it comes out! This is will be a collectors item! I Highly recommend it parents who's kids are stuck in front of the computer! It's really worth the time watching it! More Power to the Makers of this Film, please, make more movies like this one! This is a history in the Philippine Movie Industry. The First Full Length CG Animated Filipino Movie! I'd like to see this movie again and again! The story is really outstanding! I loved the concept of the story. It's got a very excellent Moral Lesson. Take your kids to watch it. WOW!

I've been postponing my plan to watch this and finally when my curiosity is about to go berserk, I head for the most convenient cinema. And boy was I amazed! I even watched it twice! Never mind that I have work tomorrow morning. And twice I heard the audience clap at the end of the movie! Now there are a lot of exclamation points here. :)

The story evolves around a young kid, Nico, spending his summer vacation playing MMORPG with his neighbourhood friends. He sucked at outdoor activities that he ultimately learned to love through their new friend, May. When a virus that was affecting the gamers was discovered in Metanoia, their MMORPG of choice, the group decided to investigate and to solve the issue.

The best part of this movie is not only the graphics but the script itself. It creates a relation to the common society here in Philippines and it conveys our natural reaction to certain scenarios. The friends' bond is very well portrayed and the characters are well thought of. Of course there are cheesy parts, make no mistake, but the puns are well executed and even the soundtracks are note worthy! But take note of the graphics - the shape of Nico's CPU, the disinfectant alcohol's container, the cupboard, the tricycle, and others; it bleeds creativity. A part made me laugh when they ate ice cream; they placed it in a mug not in a bowl. This is so likely. Haha! I am thinking of buying its DVD as soon as it comes out; and if I did, this will be the only Filipino film in my collection, not to mention animated.

The story of "RPG Metanoia" is very current and relevant. It tells about Nico and his friends who are computer-game addicts to an RPG called Metanoia. When an evil force that was destroying the world of Metanoia also threatens the real world, they need to forget their personal differences and band together in order to beat the common foe.

I liked the very real Filipino characters. I liked how the relationship of Nico (voiced by Santino himself, Zaijan Jaranilla) and his parents (funny to imagine Aga Muhlach and Eugene Domingo voicing them) was portrayed. The gang of Nico was also very realistically scripted, like how I remember playing with my neighbors back then, with the misunderstandings and getting back together as playmates. I liked how they had a Chinoy (Filipino-Chinese) guy in Nico's gang. I liked how they had a girl character May teach Nico and friends about outdoor activities, as well as play an important role in the RPG also.

I liked the characteristically Filipino imagery like Vigan houses used in the virtual world, the Moriones mask as the evil guy's avatar, the Filipino street games like Patintero, Tumbang Preso and Shato, etc. I liked the underlying message of warning to kids about addiction to computer games. (My 7-year old got that lesson!) The Filipino musical score by Ria Osorio and Gerald Salonga is also outstanding.

I also liked the international scope of the story, as we see the involvement of several foreign Metanoia characters in the virtual battles. There appear to be plans to distribute this to foreign countries, as the subtitles for the Korean and Japanese dialog were in English, instead of Filipino (even my 7-year old did find it odd though). I think we can be proud to have this film represent our country in festivals abroad.

OK, first of all, there is no point comparing this film to a Pixar, or even to a Dreamworks film. After all, this only the first full-length 3D computer-animated film from the Philippines, so we have to cut it slack for its pioneering efforts. The animation quality is certainly more than passable, the best of local animation I have seen. This is an action film that requires a high level of sophistication in order to pass muster, and "RPG Metanoia" does so with flying colors.

A montage sequence in RPG: Metanoia reminds one of the days when the erstwhile hi-tech Nintendo Entertainment System (aka the family computer) fell victim to frequent blackouts and kids of those days had nothing else to do but go outside and play patintero and other such games. Kids playing real games is a strange scenario in a movie that's supposed to embrace and capitalize on the popularity of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). But it's a good thing, right? It may actually inspire the revival of Doctor Kwak-Kwak. Or maybe not.

It's actually this clever dichotomy done well that partly helps in making Metanoia become more than just the Philippines' first 3D-animated movie, moving sprightly between humorous scenes that involve an unnamed local barrio and a virtual world with pleasing visual styles. (Of course, if you're expecting something on par with Hollywood, screw you.) It also features adorable characters brought to life by vocal performances from Zaijan Jaranilla, Eugene Domingo, Aga Muhlach, and a few former Going' Bulilit tykes. Jaranilla voices Nico, an online-gaming geek who's never good in any real-life activity and chooses to dwell in the titular virtual world with his friends. As he puts it, it's the only thing he knows how to do well, so why not take it seriously? Things change when a malevolent program takes over the minds of virtual users, and render them in a zombie-like trance. It's up to Nico — Zero in Metanoia — and his gang of ragtag tweens to destroy the virus and save the world.

Metanoia engages with its inventive display of the local pop culture and surprisingly heart-tugging moments while not losing sight of its narrative. While it drowns in a wee bit too much mauling on believing in oneself (okay, we get it already) and the climax gets a bit preposterous, especially when it tries to explain the origin and mechanism of the virus, director Luis Suarez guides the film with a sure hand. It's an endearingly winning, creative piece of effort in a time when those qualities don't even seem to matter.

"RPG Metanoia" stands out as the first full-length 3D animated feature from the Philippines, and it delivers a fresh, heartwarming story that connects both virtual and real-life experiences. The film follows Nico, a shy, reserved boy who finds confidence through the multiplayer role-playing game Metanoia, where he becomes a heroic warrior. However, when a mysterious virus threatens both the virtual world and reality, Nico and his friends must team up and bring their skills into the real world to save the day.

One of the film's strongest elements is its blend of action and Filipino culture. The game world is vividly designed, with unique avatars and exciting quests, but the film also shows how Nico's life is deeply rooted in Filipino values-family, friendship, and bayanihan (community spirit). The animation might not be on par with the likes of Pixar, but considering the film's budget and pioneering status in Filipino cinema, it's a commendable effort.

The film also touches on important messages for kids and families, such as the need to balance screen time with outdoor activities and face-to-face interactions. The way RPG Metanoia explores how virtual friendships and real-world teamwork can come together makes it both relevant and uplifting.

Though the pacing drags a bit in the middle, and the plot is somewhat predictable, the creativity in world-building and the overall heart of the story make it worth watching, especially for Filipino audiences or anyone interested in diverse animated films.

Overall, "RPG Metanoia" is a fun, nostalgic, and culturally rich adventure that offers valuable lessons for the digital age.